We all know that high blood pressure, or hypertension, is detrimental to our health. Not treating and managing elevated blood pressure can cause harm to various parts of the body, most notably heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes. Because the pressure of the blood flowing through the arteries remains consistently high in hypertension, over time hypertension can cause damage to the inner lining of the arteries, increase the chances of fat deposits within the arteries, and reduce the elasticity of the artery walls, thus restricting free and smooth supply of blood through the body. The blood vessels present in our eyes are small and delicate, constantly elevated blood pressure is certainly not good for them.

Hypertension can affect the eyes in ways such as below:

• Choroidopathy

A condition that refers to build-up of fluid under the retina caused as the result of a leaky vessel present under retina. This condition can cause the vision to get distorted. It may also cause scarring, which in turn can impair the vision.

• Hypertensive Retinopathy

This condition refers to the vascular damage caused in the retina by hypertension. As the blood pressure remains elevated within the retinal blood vessels, this increased pressure then begins to cause damage to the retina’s blood vessels, affect the proper functioning of retina, and pressurize the optic nerve. What makes this condition dangerous is that it rarely shows any signs and symptoms in its early stages. You may only begin to notice problems in your vision when the condition has worsened.

• Optic Neuropathy

This is an eye condition where optic nerve gets damaged because of obstructed blood flow. By killing the eye’s nerve cells, the condition could lead to bleeding within the eyes or could even cause temporary or permanent loss of vision.

• Stroke

Stroke is one of the many critical ways in which hypertension can affect brain. Stroke can also be damaging for the eyes and vision. It can damage the optic nerve or that important section of the brain where image processing takes place.

How to Manage Hypertension Naturally?

Hypertension can pose severe problems for the eyes. Regulating blood pressure and maintaining it within adequate range is extremely important for overall health, not just for your eye health. Here are some natural remedies that you can try for lowering and controlling your blood pressure:

• Keep a strict watch on your sodium intake. Avoid adding salt to your food as much as you can. If you eat too much of processed foods, cut back on those too since they are usually quite rich in sodium.

• We all deal with stress in some or the other way in our daily life. What’s important is that you learn to manage your stress in a healthy way.

• Eliminate smoking and excessive alcohol intake from your lifestyle.

• Maintain an active lifestyle where you dedicate some time to physical exercise every day.

• For people suffering from hypertension, regular blood pressure checkup is important so that you know for sure that your blood pressure is controlled within the healthy range.